So finally us guys in NE vic have had a respite from the heat for awhile. was a sunny 28 with clear skies and a cool light southery blowing. While doing some weeding under the bonsai benches I looked up and thought it was worth taking a few pics as I don't often see my trees from these angles .

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Fiona Thanks I hate mess (bit of a compulsion of mine) but I actually haven't really had any cobwebs etc on the benches . They get very good airflow underneath that I think helps with bugs/pests etc . The shade clothes are up at the moment and hopefully will stay that way unless I get days of 36+ again.

Last edited by Matthew on February 13th, 2018, 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cheers so far the construction has held up to 111km/h winds we had in a massive thunderstorm just before xmas . I'm yet to experience hail larger then 5 cent pieces . The irrigation works very well but I need to add a decent filter as I get abit of algie build up in those lines that can block outlets (creek water )

So with heat returning last week the shade cloth etc is back down until I get some stable high 20's . Tucked away and still getting there shower twice a day . Bring on Autumn with cool temps and LESS watering!

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Couple of questions for you Matt if you don’t mind me asking:- do you use overhead sprays only or do you have some drippers/misters under the tree canopies/on the pot surface itself? I have a combo of both on my denser foliage trees as I panic (possibly needlessly!) that the overhead spray doesn’t work it’s way down and into some of those pots particularly well. Be interested to hear what works for you, although it might relate to the next question....- what times and for how long do you run your watering cycle? I do two five minute bursts at 7am and 2:30pm. That’s mains water so I try to keep it brief, but it seems to be long enough for a decent soaking and have water flowing out of the drainage holes on all the pots. I used to water second cycle at 5pm, but moved to 2:30 as I thought that time might break up the heat of the day a bit more.

Steve B wrote:Couple of questions for you Matt if you don’t mind me asking:- do you use overhead sprays only or do you have some drippers/misters under the tree canopies/on the pot surface itself? I have a combo of both on my denser foliage trees as I panic (possibly needlessly!) that the overhead spray doesn’t work it’s way down and into some of those pots particularly well. Be interested to hear what works for you, although it might relate to the next question....- what times and for how long do you run your watering cycle? I do two five minute bursts at 7am and 2:30pm. That’s mains water so I try to keep it brief, but it seems to be long enough for a decent soaking and have water flowing out of the drainage holes on all the pots. I used to water second cycle at 5pm, but moved to 2:30 as I thought that time might break up the heat of the day a bit more.

Steve overhead sprays on this bench and additional large circular overheads for additional benches in the rest of the bonsai area . I find even with a dense canopy I run these for 12 minutes at a time I get penetration into the soil also with how the sprinklers are spaced the angle of the jet spray reaches the sides of pots etc so I never have had a issue so far .When its 35 + 2 cycles 12 minutes 6.30am and 3.30 pm when its 30 2 cycles 9 minutes when its 25 1 cycle 9 minutes My water comes from a creek mostly year round however some years it dries up jan/feb (dried up feb 21st this year ) secondary source is a large drag line .

shibui wrote:Not sure how close that fire is to your place Matthew.Margrit is heading over with a crew on Yack Tanker to help out.

If they end up at your place should they protect the house or the bonsai

Neilatm its the other side moving myhree, edi area . if it changes direction and heads towards benella way I maybe in some trouble but atm all good . Last damn day of summer and we get these winds and heat